Memories Revisited
by girlinblue17
Summary: Kimiko gets hit with the Reversing Mirror used on the Wushan Geyser. What will she remember, and how will it affect her relationship with Rai?
1. Chapter 1

**Thanks first: **Thanks to the lovely reviewers!

For Demon Daughter and Lyoko Warrior, your wish is granted.:p This will be about nine chapters. I'm actually done with the story, but I'm just doing rewrites to make it cleaner. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **Yes, I am a Warner, and I own Xiaolin Showdown. Mwahahahaha! Actually, no. I wish, but it's Warner Bros.

**Memories Revisited**

**Ch1**

"Come on, Kimiko!" Raimundo growled in frustration, seeing his fellow Dragon struggling to climb the rock wall. He was already halfway to the top, previously using his wind element to boost him up. Below Kimiko were Jack Spicer and Suzie, the latest robotic invention of the so-called evil genius to help him get Shen-Gong-Wu. So far it hasn't, unless you counted the oil spill it created and stepped on by Jack. To Suzie's credit, it did make Spicer move faster – up until the moment he was stopped most painfully by the boulder in front of him.

A Xiaolin Showdown Tsunami was in progress, Raimundo and Kimiko versus Jack and Suzie. The challenge was wall climbing: whichever pair first reaches the top would be the winner. The twist was that the wall was laden with a booby traps and, in Jack's case, a partner more pathetic than he is.

With Wuya permanently trapped in the Puzzle Box, Jack Spicer posed a threat that equated to almost nothing – not much different from the start, actually. However, during the four way-tag team Showdown between the Xiaolin and the Heylin, including Heylin Master Monk Guan, Spicer had sneakily gone in the Shen-Gong-Wu vault and stolen every Wu he could lay his hands on. As a result, Raimundo and Kimiko had been assigned to take back the rest of the Wu. The Brazilian was because of his sneaking and acrobatic abilities, and the Japanese because they had expected high-tech security that needed hacking into.

"Looks like our old lives have some use after all,"_ Raimundo thought aloud when Master Fung gave their assignment amidst the protests of Clay and Omi. _

"But Master Fung, it would be mooost disadvantageous for them to go without my expertise,"_ Omi implored, making big, sad, puppy dog eyes._

"And I reckon they'd be needing a cowboy to hog-tie Jack Spicer,"_ put in Clay, his hands already itching towards his rope. _

"I'm sorry, Omi and Clay, but it is not possible for you to go,"_ said Master Fung, shaking his head._

"But Master, I…"_ Omi protested._

"Enough already, Omi!"_ Raimundo interrupted, getting just a bit insulted. Even if he was already Shoku warrior, the others didn't seem to have full faith in his abilities yet. "_You know as much about sneaking in as you know about slang, and Clay,"_ seeing the cowboy's mouth open to protest, _"We don't need to milk Spicer, so I don't think cowboys are needed,"_ he said, glancing apologetically at him. He didn't really have anything against the blond Texan, but the mission didn't need manpower as much as it needed stealth, and the least people who will go, the better. And it didn't hurt that he'd be spending time with a certain Dragon that's been invading his thoughts for quite some time now._

"Guess we didn't need our 'expertise' after all," Raimundo mused, waiting for Kimiko to catch up. Spicer's excuse for a security measure was the lock on his door, which was still unlocked, one of the sore points between him and Wuya. _For a techie evil genius, he has no idea what security means_, thought Raimundo. Not that he was complaining. He and Kimiko had breezed through the house and into the basement as though they owned it. The only snag was Jack using the Shen Gong Wu as his bed, and when they tried to take these, it triggered the showdown they were in now. Kimiko had been dodging spikes that popped out of the wall and evading the huge swinging metal ball that was trying to knock all of them off for the past quarter hour. When she was only a few feet below Raimundo, he could clearly see her eyes, the only parts of her face visible under her Wudai armor, filled with determination. _She's so beautiful_, he thought, looking at the blue depths that seem to lighten or darken according to her mood. He shook his head. "_Pedrosa, now is not the right time for that,"_ he berated himself, although he couldn't resist looking at her again before glancing down to the so-called "Prince of Darkness." Spicer has finally managed to stand up after several painful attempts, both he and the floor completely covered with oil. Unfortunately, he hasn't escaped Suzie, who he was valiantly fighting against wiping his face with a wet towel.

"What's the matter, widdle Jackiepoo too messy fow his nanny?" Raimundo couldn't help but taunt Spicer.

"She is not my nanny!" Jack yelled. The robot had given up on trying to clean him up and instead was now attempting to make him drink a large glass of lemonade.

"Really?" Raimundo said, quirking an eyebrow. "Sure doesn't look like it to me." He glanced down again, checking Kimiko's progress, and noticed her backpack. _Oh yeah, I almost forgot,_ Raimundo thought. _Must erase Jack Spicer's memory. Fung-o would kill me if I forget._

"Young dragons," _Master Fung told them before the two set off, "_you must not fail to erase Jack Spicer's memory. He can still open the Shen-Gong-Wu vault again if you don't, and we would have to go through with this again."

"You just don't want to buy a padlock for that thing,"_ Dojo muttered, but quietly so Master Fung wouldn't hear. The Dragons did though, and they sniggered._

"No problemo, Fung-O, I have a good memory,"_ Raimundo said, tapping his forehead. Kimiko rolled her eyes. _

"You know, Rai,"_ Kimiko told him sweetly, her voice absolutely dripping with sarcasm, _"Wind is _so_ perfect for you."

"Why? Because I'm cool and strong?"_ Raimundo said cockily, lazily making a soccer ball cross over his shoulders winking at her._

"No. Because you're full of hot air!"_ Komiko said smugly. Raimundo was getting just a little too arrogant for his own good, _she thought, _even if he could live up to his boasts_, adding the last grudgingly_. She still loved deflating his ego though, being that she's the only one who could do that: Clay was too nice, and Omi couldn't think of a comeback even if it danced in front of him wearing Jack's goggles. _

_Raimundo scowled at her, but surprisingly didn't retort. For all his conceit, he's actually grown mature ever since he became Shoku warrior. _No, wait,_ Kimiko thought, _it started even before that._ However, she couldn't pinpoint it. She was still trying to remember when she heard an impatient "Tsk!" above her. Looking up, she saw Raimundo already on Dojo's back and glaring at her impatiently. Some things never change though_, Kimiko thought dryly_. Raimundo has always been the most impatient of the Dragons. _Oh well,_ she thought, running up and grasping Rai's hand that pulled her up. _It's not as if it's the end of the world if can't remember it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ch2**

Kimiko wasn't having a great time at the Showdown. _Why does it always have to be heights? _She grumbled to herself. She hated heights. Absolutely _hated _it. It's ok when she's riding Dojo – at least she had something solid under her. Climbing walls was different. There was so much empty air under her that it was all she could do from screaming. No one else knew about her fear except Rai.

"C'mon, Kimi, I can fly us there, no problem," _Raimundo said, trying to cajole Kimiko into using his element to get supplies for the Temple instead of the Silver Manta Ray. He would be going with her because, as he said, she might end up buying without asking for discounts. '_Girls don't know how to bargain_,' he had said cockily. Kimiko still got red at the thought, particularly because Omi was within hearing distance._

"Oooh, girls do not know how to bargain? But it says in 'The Ancient Guide to Females 'that it is the woman's duty to shop and cook food for the men,"_ the little monk had said. He'd already begun to take a step towards his book when he saw a shadow looming over him. A ferocious red-outlined shadow. _

"What did you say, Omi?"_ Kimiko said in a quiet, ominous voice. _

"Oh, I was just saying that I thought women are mooost suited to prepare food as is their duty,"_ Omi cheerfully said, still not realizing that he'd dug his own grave. _"I am just on my way to confirm that."

"Oh, please do."_ Omi didn't even get that hint. Instead, he even picked his own gravestone when he took that as encouragement and pulled out his battered copy of _"The Ancient Guide to Females."

"See, it says here on Page 127 that women should go to the market and buy and cook food as their jobs, because they are mooost weak to do anything else." _He grinned widely, then noticed that Kimiko was literally in flames. Too late did he realize he had made a fatal error._

"AAAHHH!"_ screamed a little bald-headed monk, sounding uncanny like Jack Spicer, running for his life. Kimiko was already pursuing him, throwing fireballs with all her might. One caught the book and it caught fire. She was about to catch him when a tall, brown-haired guy blocked her._

"As much fun as it is to watch the cheeseball melt," _Raimundo said, lazily buffing his nails on his shirt, _"it won't get us supper, not unless you want cheese sandwichesfor a fortnight_." He had no real desire to get Omi hurt, but he knew that protecting him would make Kimiko think he was on his side, and he'll also be on the receiving end of her fireballs. Better to be cool about it, and Raimundo knew all about being cool._

_His plan worked. Kimiko stopped in her tracks and her fireballs fizzled away from her hands. She crossed her arms on her chest. _"No, Rai, we take the Silver Manta Ray,"_ she said stubbornly._ "It would have been Dojo if he wasn't so bloated. If he hadn't overeaten, we wouldn't have to take a Wu. Come to think of it, we wouldn't need to buy supplies in the first place. Stupid dragon," _She had said, muttering the last under her breath. She began walking towards the vault. Rai sauntered beside her._

"Come on, Kimi, I need the practice,_" he said, back to his cajoling mode._

"You, need to practice? As if,"_ she scoffed._

_Rai stopped in his tracks. _"Did I hear that right?" _He waggled his eyebrows at her. _"Did Ms. I'm-so-much-better-than-everybody just give me an honest-to-goodness compliment?"_ To his surprise (and delight),, she blushed. _

"N-no, I didn't,"_ she stammered. _"First of all, I don't have arrogance issues. I leave that up to Mr. Conceited there,"_ she said, pointing to Omi who was cooling his backside on the man-made "natural" pool. _"And secondly, that wasn't a compliment." She plunged on."I just find it hard to believe that someone's who's almost as egotistical as you would think that he needs to practice."Take that,_ she thought. It was her turn to be surprised when Raimundo bowed his head. _

"I'm not perfect, Kimiko,"_ he said quietly. Too late, Kimiko remembered Wuya and Hannibal Bean's taunts to him: that he was never going to be good enough, and, as Omi still was liable to point out, last to be made Apprentice. As his best friend, she knew those words continued to haunt him, even if he'd already been made leader. There was an awkward pause, and then Raimundo gave a forced grin. She smiled back uncertainly._

"So how about it, Kimiko?"_ He said, stuffing his hands in his pockets._

"Rai, I can't,"_ she said, her mind back to the discussion at hand, her voice barely above a whisper._

"Why not?" _Raimundo looked at her concernedly. _Here's was a rare moment, _he thought, _Kimiko looking unsure of herself_. She had always seemed to be confident and self-assured. Small wonder that the Bird of Paradise said her virtue is bravery. Now, she seemed anything but, biting her lower lip and clasping her hands together. Raimundo privately thought she looked adorable. _But what's the use? She'll never think of me as anything more than a best friend. _He noticed she was about to speak, and schooled his features to prevent them from revealing his thoughts._

"I'm scared of heights,"_ she confessed, then braced herself, expecting laughter. Instead, she met green eyes that seemed even more concerned, if possible, than a few seconds earlier._

"You are? But with Dojo, you're…"

"With Dojo, it's different,"_ she interrupted him. _"At least I have my feet resting on something. Flying with all that empty air is a different matter,"_ she said, shuddering._

_Raimundo gave her an understanding smile. _"It's ok, Kimi. I mean, come on, I love the beach and surfing, but I'm scared of jellyfish. What's up with that, huh?"

_Kimiko smiled up at him. _"That doesn't really connect, you know."

"I know, but it's the best I could do on a short notice."_ Kimiko laughed. _"So, shall we get the Wu?" _She nodded. They walked side-by-side to the vault._

She shook her head. Really, she would have sworn Jack Spicer used the Shadow of Fear on her if she hadn't already known that it would show the Lil Chica Doll. Glancing up, she saw green eyes looking worriedly at her, obviously understanding her struggle. _No, I won't let him down. _She determinedly pushed herself forward. When she was a few feet below Raimundo, he reached out his hand and pulled her up.

"I gotcha, Kimi. Don't worry, I won't let you go," he said soothingly, one hand supporting her back. He smiled at her gently, and Kimiko felt her heart race. She was vaguely aware of that hand, which was on hers just a few seconds ago, callused but strong. In an attempt to remove the distraction, she began pulling herself up again. She heard him call out, "See ya, Spicer," before he followed her. She stared down and saw their rival trying to keep himself from drowning in lemonade. She grinned. When they reached the top, the scene faded and they were back to normal, if you can call Jack Spicer's bedroom in his parents' basement normal.

"Oh yeah, before I forget…" Raimundo took out the Wu from Kimiko's bag. "Yours?" he offered her.

"Definitely." Kimiko wasn't in a forgiving mood, not after all that climbing she had to do. "Wushan Geyser!" she called out.

Unfortunately, Jack heard the call and, in one of his rare moments, thought quickly. "Reversing Mirror!" he yelled, activating the Wu that he had with him and crouching under Suzie's arms to aim. Kimiko was hit mainly on her left arm, making her glow eerily for an instant, before she toppled over. The last thing she heard was someone desperately calling her. _Rai, _she thought fuzzily. Then all went black.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for the reviews, Lyoko Warrior and Cursed Destiny.:D I'm posting three new chapters today.:P And yes, it will be nine chapters all in all.:p Also working on another RaiKim. Hope you like it!

**Ch3**

"Spicer!" yelled Raimundo. After checking that Kimiko hasn't been harmed, not physically at least, he turned slowly towards the fake goth.

Jack Spicer gave his trademark girlish scream. He regretted his action just a few minutes ago: certainly not of using the Reversing Mirror, but of pouring lemonade down Suzie's back out of irritation for losing the Showdown. Now he was all alone. Even the propellers on his backpack were gone, having been confiscated by his grandmother for being a useless villain. "Please don't hurt me!" he said, kneeling before Raimundo.

"Oh, aren't we polite?" Raimundo snarled, walking menacingly towards him.

"Yes, yes, polite! I'll be polite!" Jack Spicer was actually gibbering now. Although he was taller than Raimundo by an inch or two, the Brazilian towered over him, a dark force to be reckoned with. "Just don't hurt me!" He threw his hands over his head.

"Bet you're regretting short-circuiting your robot now, aren't you, _Jackie?_" He was standing right in front of Spicer now. "I promised Master Fung I'd wipe your memory out, but wiping you out is looking to be the better option."

Spicer gave a terrified squeak and attempted to crawl behind a table. Raimundo grabbed a foot to prevent him from escaping.

"Now, which part should I break first?" Raimundo said. "This leg, or," he grabbed the other, "this one? Or how about both?" He began pulling them.

Jack Spicer shrieked again and began clawing the floor in another attempt to break free, but to no avail. "I can help you! Just please, please, please don't break my legs!"

Raimundo lessened his hold of his feet. "What did you say?"

"Urm, please, please, please?" Jack asked.

Raimundo tightened his grip again.

Jack squealed. "I said, I could help you! I just need to check your scrolls in the Temple!"

"How did you know about the scrolls?" Raimundo glared at him.

"Uh, you made me roll and unroll them and file them when I stayed with you guys when my Robo-Jack took over?"

"Raimundo looked at him suspiciously. "Alright," he finally relented. "But if you make even just one funny move, I will make sure that after I'm done with you, a matchbox would be too big for whatever's left of you. Now move." He pushed him and they went out of the house, him carrying Kimiko in his arms.

"Silver Manta Ray!" he cried out after taking the Wu out of Kimiko's backpack.

"What? Not going to do your little flying thing?" Jack was feeling more confident now that he wasn't going to be turned into dog meat – not yet at least.

Raimundo shot him a death glare, and Spicer quailed again. "Alright! I was just asking, no need to be touchy about it."

Raimundo looked from his under his eyebrows. He was already beginning to regret his decision. "Kimiko hates flying," Raimundo grunted out.

Spicer's eyebrows shot up. No way had he just seen the Dragon of the Wind be concerned of someone. "Oh, I see," he said, then he cleared his throat. "So are you two…" He saw Raimundo's eyebrows draw together again and his face scowl. "Oh, erm, never mind!" The Brazilian placed Kimiko in one of the seats and got in beside her.

"Kimi and Raimundo sitting in a tree…" Jack sang under his breath.

"Don't ever call her Kimi!" In an instant, Raimundo had the Sword of the Storm out.

Jack squeaked. He should have known better than to taunt a Dragon. He made to climb in the Silver Manta Ray when he was stopped by the Sword of the Storm blocking his path.

"Not so fast," Raimundo sneered. "Kimi might hate flying, but I didn't say anything about you. Wudai Star-Wind!" He called out, and whipped out wind to blow Jack Spicer towards the temple. Raimundo got in the Silver Manta Ray and followed after him, using the sound of screams as his guide.

_What's going on? _Kimiko thought. _Last thing I remember was Jack Spicer using the Reversing Mirror on me. I swear, I will roast him when I get the chance! _It was then that she realized that she was surrounded by darkness. _Where the heck am I? _From a distance, she saw a small figure approaching her. She got into her battle stance, but relaxed again when she noticed how slow the person was moving. Surely someone who didn't move that fast could not mean anything malicious. She squinted. _That person looks so familiar, _she thought, and then her eyes widened. _No, it can't be!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Ch4**

Kimiko saw the figure get nearer to her, and she was left with no doubt who it was.

Herself.

It was Kimiko, except probably eight years younger. She was wearing a jumper and her hair was also in pigtails. _Just like mine, _Kimiko said, touching her own.

"Hi!" the younger Kimiko looked up at her. "How's it going?"

"No, you're me! But that's impossible! I'm me, and…" She suddenly remembered Raimundo telling her of the time Hannibal Bean got into his head, and that he saw a younger version of himself there. But surely the same thing happening can't be possible. Different Shen-Gong-Wu were used after all and…

"Are you… me?" Kimiko asked the little girl uncertainly.

"Well, not really, because, as that dead guy has said, 'You can't step on the same river twice,' and all that, at least, according to the tutor daddy hired for me, but yeah, to make a long story short, I guess you could say that you're me," the kid said this incredibly fast, and when she finished she grinned up at Kimiko.

"Are you talking about Mr. Kotake, who I drove off by putting a lizard down his shirt?" Kimiko's lips twitched at the thought.

"No, actually, _I _drove him off. You're a bit too old to pull that stunt, but I'm not. The same way that I could go into the kitchen and eat one-half of the chocolate fudge cake before cook found me out and-"

"Made me eat vegetables for a month!" The older Kimiko finished for her. The child's grin grew wider and then she laughed altogether, the older one joining her. When they finished giggling, she asked, "So what am I doing here anyway?"

"Exactly what you were doing just a while ago. _Remembering._" The kid put emphasis on her last word. _Wow, _Kimiko thought, _I sound smart for my age._

"Yes, you do," the kid said. Kimiko looked down at her in surprise. "And no, you weren't a mind reader when you were younger," the child said in exasperation. "You're me and I'm you, so I know what you're thinking, the same way that you should know mine."

"Oh, okay," Kimiko said uncertainly. "So why am I _remembering_?" she said, also emphasizing the last word. She grinned innocently at the kid, who stuck her tongue out at her.

"For someone who's been remembering, you sure forget about a lot of things," the child said cheekily. This time, it was Kimiko who stuck her tongue out. "Anyway, you tried using the Wushan Geyser on Jack Spicer, but he countered it with the Reversing Mirror, so…"

"The effect was reversed and instead of him forgetting, I got hit and I have to remember things!" Kimiko snapped her fingers. "Of course! That would be the logical effect. But how come I'm unconscious?"

The child clucked her tongue impatiently. "Remembering things takes a longer time, that's all, and that's why you haven't woken up yet. And I think there's some effect of the Shen-Gong-Wu too. Seriously, are you sure you're my older self? If I had known I would be a bit slower on the uptake, I wouldn't have grown up at all!"

"Well, anyway," Kimiko interrupted her. She didn't like being insulted, not even by herself. "What are the stuff that I have to be remembering?"

"You'll see," the child said cryptically, and then suddenly smiled. "Just think of me as the Ghost of Christmas Past. Shall we?" And without waiting for an answer, she took the hand of the older Kimiko and they went in a portal similar to that made by the Golden Tiger Claws, except a dull red.

"It has to be here somewhere!" Jack was getting frantic, particularly with Raimundo hanging over him with the Sword of the Storm in his hand. On either side of him were Omi and Clay who looked about ready to beat him to a pulp and then have it for breakfast. Both were also carrying their Shen-Gong-Wu of choice and looked unafraid to use it.

"It better be, pardner," Clay growled, "Or I will personally see to it that not all doggies will be coming home to the range, if you take my meaning." He fingered the Fist of Tebigong almost lovingly.

"The only reason I have not had you drowned, Jack Spicer, is because I would not want the scrolls to get wet!" Omi said, glaring daggers up at him. His Orb of Tornami was in plain view, and it gleamed a bright blue as though it was itching to have the water unleashed from it.

"Get in line, guys," Raimundo said darkly. "I have dibs." He pulled out a box of matches from his pockets and began lighting them and then blowing them off one by one. "Remember what I said, Spicer," looking Jack straight in the eye and then blowing the match on his hand. He flicked the scorched matchstick at Jack Spicer.

For some reason, that had a most disturbing effect on Jack Spicer – more than Clay's warning that most probably has nothing to do with cattle. He shrieked and then begun gathering the scrolls in his arms and reading them at top speed.

"We're waiting, Spicer," Raimundo said, still lighting and blowing matches one by one.

"Aha! I found it! I found it!" Jack said triumphantly, pointing at a scroll with a large illustration on it.

"What does it say?" Omi said, trying to crane his neck to read. Mind you, it was very difficult, what with three guys about triple his height crowding over the scroll.

"Hold on, hold on," Jack said. "It says that the Wushan Geyser is a helmet that is so named because those who are affected by this become veiled in something resembling a fountain."

"We know that already!" Raimundo said impatiently. "Tell us something we don't know! What is the effect if the Reversing Mirror is used with it?"

Scanning down the scroll, Jack found the answer. "It says that instead of forgetting, the one who had used the helmet will end up remembering stuff in her past."

"That ain't not so bad, ain't it?" Clay said hopefully. "After all, she did have her Cat's Eye Draco to protect her, right?"

Raimundo ignored him. "And…?" he asked, tapping his foot. _There must be a catch. _

"And what? Geez, you Xiaolin should learn to finish your sentences! You…" He gulped the rest of his words down at the look on the three Dragons' faces.

"How do we reverse the effects, you idiot?!" Raimundo practically shouted at him.

"Oh yes! Here we go! 'If both Shen-Gong-Wu were used while a Dragon has possession of her elemental Shen-Gong-Wu, even if not activated it will… That is, er, oh, oops." Jack Spicer, went paler, if that's possible. If he became any lighter, he would be transparent.

"Oops?" Clay growled.

"Heehee."

"What is this 'heehee'?" Omi snarled.

"Well, that is, er…"

"Cough it in, Spicer," Omi warned.

Jack gave a pitiful little cough, looking apprehensively at the three guys in front of him.

"He means spit it out, Spicer." Raimundo was getting tired of this.

"Yeah, do that or we'll make you," Clay said, flexing his arm.

"I-It seems there's no way to re-reverse the effect."

"JACK SPICER!" All the monks in the Temple, if not all of China, heard a roar that afternoon, followed by a very high-pitched, penetrating, shriek.


	5. Chapter 5

**Ch5**

The two Kimikos had already breezed through their childhood. All in all, it was a relatively easy life she led: being with her best friend Keiko, spending time with her parents, playing all the computer games her dad brought her. The only thing that marred her childhood was her Lil Chica Doll.

_She had been so happy when she first received her first ever doll that they quickly became inseparable. Where Kimiko was, the blond doll was sure to be there as well, either hanging from her hand or perched close to her. She even sang to it. At school, no one besides Keiko would talk to her because they thought she was a snob, so Lil Chica answered what she had been craving the most: friendship. _

_Then one day, a classmate of hers invited her over to her house to watch a movie. When asked what it was about, she had answered, _"You'll see." _Given permission to go, she and Keiko happily went to their classmate's house, with Lil Chica Doll in her arms. _

_She would never forget that film for the rest of her life, because it filled her nightmares for months. Images of a mad, murderous doll kept popping in her head, and she would wake up crying and sobbing, making her parents run to her room to comfort her. Pretty soon, she ended up sleeping in her parents' bedroom for months since she couldn't sleep without dreaming about it. When they asked Kimiko's teacher to speak to the kid who invited her over, the girl replied,_ "I was doing her a favor. That doll was driving us crazy! She is such a freak being attached to that toy as if it were alive!"

_Kimiko's parents decided to home-school her after that incident, hiring the best tutors they could find. Yet her fear for the doll never waned. She would look at it and it would stare back, its blue eyes unblinking. Kimiko grew afraid of Lil Chica. From it being her most favorite item in the world, it became her hatest, but she dare not throw it out because she thought it would come after her. Yet she always felt as though its eyes followed her. She tried stuffing it in her closet, but when she opened her cabinet, she would see Lil Chica staring at her, a silent accusation in her eyes._

"Why are you always looking at me?" _Kimiko had screamed at the doll. The doll remained unblinking._

"Stop it! Stop staring!" _Kimiko was sobbing hard already. She started throwing pillows at Lil Chica, but even if it fell, it was still staring._

"Stop it!" _Kimiko shouted, and to her astonishment, flames erupted from her hands and went directly for the doll. _

_How ironic, _Kimiko thought, viewing how her younger version had run screaming for her parents when the doll burst into flames. _My biggest fear led me to my greatest satisfaction._

"Have I ever recovered from this fear?" The Kimiko beside her said.

"I thought you knew what I was thinking?" Kimiko said teasingly. Her younger version stuck her tongue out at her again. She laughed. "Actually no," she said. The child's eyes went wide. "But I learned to deal with it. I had no choice, it tried to kill me."

"How did you do that?" The kid's eyes went wider.

"I sumo-wrestled it." At that, Kimiko burst into laughter. She saw the confused look on the kid's face and laughed harder.

"So you're saying we can't do anything for Kimiko?" Raimundo was trembling in rage.

"Hey, read it for yourself, it's here in print: 'No Shen-Gong-Wu can counter the effect caused by the crossing of the Wushan Geyser and the Reversing Mirror in cases where elemental Wu are involved,'" Jack Spicer said, pointing at the scroll defensively.

"That can't be it, the two Wus are passive! They shouldn't do that much harm!"

"Maybe it's because she's a girl, and girls have lesser resistance than men!"

"I reckon we could try and feed her a rare sirloin steak, she might get better!"

"I want my mommy!"

Just then Dojo slithered in, oblivious to the loud voices competing for superiority.

"Hey kids! I have great news!"

"What? You lost weight?" Raimundo said sarcastically.

Dojo ignored him. "I heard from one of the monks what happened. Her Cat's Eye Draco actually magnified the effect of the two Wu, so the blast hit her more than it should. There is, however, one way of waking her up."

"What? Tell me!"

"We wait it out."

"We wait it out? That's your solution?!" Raimundo made to grab Dojo, but he slithered away.

"That is _the _solution! Using other Shen-Gong-Wu would only make things worse!"

"How worse?"

"How about, not ever having Kimiko wake up again?"

"Oh, come on! Kimiko…" Raimundo groaned, going to her bedside and taking hold of her hand, a sight that wasn't missed by anyone in the room.


	6. Chapter 6

Here we are on Chapter 6! The story will most probably end by tomorrow, so keep tuning in.;)

A belated note: I absolutely loved the fourth chapter when Jack was being bullied.:D That was the most fun part to write.:D

Thanks for Cursed Destiny for the review.;) Please do R & R, people!

Anyhow, let's proceed with the story.

**Ch6**

"How far do we have to go?" Kimiko groaned. Seeing her experiences, even if it didn't mean reliving it, was still an ordeal for the most part.

"You tell me," her younger self said impishly.

"Tell me, was I really a brat when I was younger?" Kimiko snarled at the kid beside her, knowing it wasn't really her fault but at the same time having no one else to rant to. _Why am I in this mess? _She asked herself for the nth time. Looking down, she saw the child's eyes welling with tears. _Oh great, now I made myself cry!_

She kneeled beside her younger self and hugged her. "I'm so sorry! It's just that this getting me really frustrated, and I don't know what else I should do." She shrugged her shoulders helplessly.

"I know," the kid sniffed. She hugged her back. "If it were me, I'd also be frustrated."

Kimiko laughed ruefully, and rumpled the child's hair. She knew how much that annoyed her, and sure enough, she was met with a "Hey!" and a swiping back of her hand. She chuckled. "Shall we go on? What's the next memory?"

"You're not going to like it," the child warned.

"Well, I haven't liked a lot of things I've seen so far, and I'm still standing," Kimiko countered. "Let's see, I'm already in my teens in that last memory, so it's only a matter of time before I enter the Temple. The only significant memory that leaves me with is…" She suddenly felt her mouth go dry.

"I told you that you wouldn't like it," her younger self said sympathetically.

_She was in a park, and it was snowing, but she wasn't alone. A tall, dark- and long-haired guy was with her, but they weren't acting like a couple, although Kimiko knew that they are, or were. Right now, they looked like they were in the middle of a fight._

"Kimiko, why didn't you tell me about this?" _The guy yelled at her._

"Hiro, I thought you'd be happy for me! My parents told me that this is a gift!"

_The guy named Hiro snorted. _"A gift? Kimiko, you could make and control fire, and not in the girlscout kind of way!"

"I take it you don't like it," _Kimiko said, feeling that she's fighting a losing battle. She was._

_Hiro snorted again._ "Like it? As much as I'd want a second nose up my forehead! How do you think I feel, knowing that my girlfriend could burn me to a crisp if she chooses?!"

_Kimiko would have felt ecstatic at finally being acknowledged as the girlfriend by Hiro Asakura, top jock and school hero extraordinaire, but she wasn't. Instead, she felt emptier than she ever had in her life. _"I wouldn't do that…" _She whispered._

"And what's my assurance of that?" _Kimiko didn't reply. _"See, you can't even answer. I'm sorry, Kimiko, but I can't live with that."

"So what are you saying?" _Kimiko looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears. _

"I'm saying I can't stay with a demon. Go and find another freak for you," _and so saying, he left Kimiko crying alone, the snow billowing around her._

The present-day Kimiko watched the scene unfold before her eyes, and tears fell from her eyes unbidden. Angrily, she wiped them off with her hands.

The younger Kimiko looked up at her. "Are you okay?" she asked uncertainly.

Kimiko smiled, blinking away more tears that threatened to fall. "Of course, honey," she said soothingly, embracing the child. "Don't worry about me."

"Do you still love him?" She asked hesitatingly.

"No. I don't think I ever did, actually, but it felt good that someone was actually paying attention to me for once." Kimiko laughed bitterly. "Guess I was wrong. I heard from Keiko that the day after our break-up, he was seen with Yui. So much for a love life."

"Good."

"Good?" Kimiko's eyebrows rose.

"No!" The child hastened to assure her. "I meant, it's good that you don't love him. He didn't deserve you," she said loyally. Kimiko laughed and ruffled the kid's hair again. "I'm serious! There's one guy who would be perfect for you, if you only see him."

"What? I know that guy already?" Kim said teasingly.

"You have no idea," her younger self grinned at her. "Shall we?"

"Yes, let's. Wouldn't want to miss my dream boy for the world." With that, Kimiko took her hand and on they went.


	7. Chapter 7

Aha! Chapter 7! This is the reason why I wrote the story itself! Watch the series and look out for these little signs if you don't get my meaning.;) Most of the stuff that's in here actually did happen.:D

**Ch7**

"These ones I remember!" Kimiko said excitedly. "These have been some of the happiest days of my life!" She saw herself entering the Temple for the first time.

"I know," her younger self said slyly. Kimiko didn't pay attention to her, because she was caught up in the scene. She winced. "Was I that self-absorbed?"

"You have no idea," younger Kimiko said. "The Temple was really good for you, you know. It taught you maturity… among other things."

"What things? Oh wait, sssh! This is where I learned how to control the Tangle Web Comb! Hah! I sure showed Raimundo!"

"Did you really?" The child said innocently.

"Yes, see! He even made a bet against me, the jerk! Wonder how much he…" Kimiko's eyes widened.

"You were saying?" The younger Kimiko asked smugly.

"He was rooting for me?" Kimiko said, flabbergasted. "Wait a minute!" She rounded up on her younger double. A horrible thought entered her mind. "This isn't my memory! I don't remember this happening! Besides, I'm up there, so I couldn't have heard what they were talking about! Who are you, and why did you abduct me?" She said, going into battle stance.

"Come on, Kimiko! After all this time together, and you can't even know yourself when you see her? Besides, if I were an enemy, I would have taken you out earlier!"

"Well, then how come I can see what's going on in here?"

"Maybe another Shen-Gong-Wu made the effect more powerful," the kid shrugged her shoulders.

Her eyes were still narrowed. "How do I know this isn't a lie?" She relaxed a bit, dropping her pose, but she was still tense.

"Will you relax? You would know that it's a lie, Kimiko! I'm you! Besides, this still is your memory, see!" pointing at her battling Jack Spicer. "All that's different is that you can literally see the bigger picture now." They looked on in time to see Raimundo say, "I _knew_ she could do it!"

Suddenly, her surroundings seem to lurch. "What's going on?" Kimiko cried.

"I don't know." Her doppelganger's eyes grew wide. "Maybe the Wu's effects are starting to wear off! We have to hurry!"

"Hurry for what? We won't be able to look at all my memories if I'm about to wake up!"

"Then we won't view all your memories! I want to show you some things to prove what I've said earlier!"

"What _did _you say earlier?" But her younger self was already pulling her to a different memory and didn't reply.

"Recognize this one?"

"Yeah," Kimiko said quietly. Her heart clenched. This was when Raimundo turned to the Heylin side. "Do we really have to watch this?" she asked. She didn't know why, but seeing her best friend evil wasn't something she wanted to repeat ever again.

"Why don't you want to watch it? It's already over. You know Raimundo won't turn back." Her younger self said, looking at her sternly as she did as if daring her to contradict it.

"I know. It's just…" Her heart tightened again as she watched herself and the others battling Raimundo.

"Besides, we won't watch the full thing anyway. I just want to show you something." Everything moved in fast-forward, until they saw Raimundo trapping Wuya in the new puzzle box, and them going on Dojo's back. Finally, the scene slowed down to normal speed.

"Know what's going to happen next?" The child said slyly.

"I kissed him on the cheek." For some reason, Kimiko blushed. "But that didn't mean anything!" She said hastily, "It's, you know, to welcome him back and for defeating Wuya, and all."

"Yeah, but why didn't you kiss Omi when he got back from the Heylin side?" When Kimiko opened her mouth to protest, her younger self raised her hand. "Anyway, whatever the reason, let's watch the scene, okay?" Kimiko saw herself wrap her arms around Raimundo and give him a kiss on the cheek. What she didn't expect was Raimundo to blush and smile gently before Clay gave him a high-five. _Did I just see what I think I saw? _She wondered. She glanced down at her younger self, who was smiling up at her.

"Would you like a replay?" Mutely she nodded, and again she was given a view of that blush and that smile. Both stunned her. She had never seen Raimundo smile like that. Oh, she's seen him with a friendly grin, a sneer, a happy smile, even laughing, but she's never seen him that one on him – until now. It was a smile that looked oddly contented and happy, which seemed out of place in Raimundo's face, but seemed to fit him perfectly. It made him look gentler and more human, in a way. And Raimundo blushing? She wouldn't have thought it was possible if she didn't see it herself. Unconsciously, Kimiko's hand reached up to that image, but then dropped it.

"What are you trying to tell me?" she quietly asked her doppelganger.

"Exactly what you're seeing. Hold on, we have some more memories to go through, and I don't think we don't have much time left." They skipped to another memory.

"This is when you trained with Master Monk Guan," little Kimiko told the older one unnecessarily.

"Yeah, this was when Raimundo pretended to turn over to the Heylin side again," Kimiko said. She could see what was going on, but she also felt the twinge in her chest when she thought Raimundo's left her – them, she hastily corrected herself – again. She saw Raimundo beating up Clay and Omi, and then it came down to the two of them. She blinked. One minute she was prepping to fight Raimundo, the next, Master Monk Guan got in between them. Where did he come from? Why didn't he show up when the two guys were being beaten? She frowned in confusion, but then suddenly saw Master Monk Guan give Raimundo a wink before the latter left the Temple. What _is _going on? She wondered. She saw her younger self looking at her. "What, you have an explanation for that?" already expecting an answer.

She wasn't disappointed. "Master Monk Guan and Raimundo planned this to trick Hannibal Bean, right?"

"Yeah."

"So don't you think they also staged this fight scene?"

"But that's absurd! If they really did plan everything, then why did Master Monk Guan allow Rai to beat Clay and Omi up?"

"Didn't you see the wink earlier?"

"He might just have had something in his eye!"

Kimiko's doppelganger didn't even bother to answer. She just looked. Kimiko blushed, then cleared her throat. "So what else are you going to show me?"

Her younger self grinned. "I thought you'd never ask!"

It was already nighttime, and Kimiko still hasn't woken up. Raimundo was getting worried. Sure, Kimiko had stirred, even tossed around once, but there was still no sign that she was going to wake up. _That does it, _he said, and made his way to the Shen-Gong-Wu vault.

Kimiko found herself watching flashes of her memories. She couldn't believe just how much memory she stored of her and Raimundo: them just hanging out, sparring, and in battle. She saw just how much Raimundo made an effort to be her support and to protect her. When Omi thought he found his parents and Hannibal Bean attacked the Temple, Raimundo had thrust her behind him to keep the mutated bean from hurting her. Not that that didn't do much good, but Kimiko didn't realize the weight of the action until now. She also saw them in Dojo's back on numerous occasions, with Raimundo almost always right behind her, making sure to let her know that he's there in case her fear of heights takes over. He always pulled her up and got down first to lift her down. She even found the answer to the question she had forgotten earlier: Raimundo had indeed changed, and it wasn't only because he was made Shoku warrior. His transformation began when he had gotten back from the Heylin side. Kimiko was astonished to see just how much Raimundo's actions betrayed him: how he tried to impress the Dragons and Master Fung, him staring at them when he wasn't made Apprentice yet, the joy on his face when he finally received the belt, and how he worked harder than even Omi when it came to training after his stint with evil, even if he didn't show it. She also saw scenes that were of Raimundo alone: how he was the first one to use his Wudai power while only as an Apprentice to try to rescue Omi from Chase, how he'd help his hometown in Brazil, risking his life in the process, how he'd helped the old woman that turned out to be the Bird of Paradise. A lump rose in her throat. She saw them in practice, Raimundo making a way so they could almost always be sparring partners…

Suddenly the scene in front of her changed, and she saw herself and Raimundo, his arm about her shoulders, in a movie theatre watching what seemed like "Raimundo Pedrosa's Most Amazing Home Videos." The scene again distorted, and she found herself back to what she was watching a few minutes before the strange interruption. _Weird, _she thought. _I must not have a good cable subscription, _she thought wryly to herself, chuckling, and continued to watch.

She saw them sparring together, and even if Raimundo didn't really try to be gentle with her (it was training after all) when they were practicing, when she's down, he would always run to her side and see if she's ok. She saw him dart jealous glances at Clay and Omi when they got to her first in the rare instances she gets in trouble in battles, bending his frustrations in his own fight. She even got the chance to watch a scene she didn't believe possible: when the Dragons' (except Omi's) chis were sucked by the Chi Monster. She watched, astonished, as Dojo shoved Raimundo's chi bottle down his throat and how he, instead of doing the same thing, instead took her in his arms, dipped her and gently made her drink the contents of her bottle. She watched herself push Raimundo away when she regained consciousness and winced when she saw Raimundo's face contort in pain before he skillfully cleared it. She saw herself on the verge of tears when Raimundo offered to drink the Lao Ming Lone Soup to get them out, and felt a strange surge of relief flow through her when Chase Young instead took it. She saw Raimundo's tortured face when all four of their Heylin enemies appeared in front of her in their four-way tag team Xiaolin Showdown, and how he tagged her to save her. And she saw herself going into his embrace and kissing him again when he was made Shoku warrior, and how his arms automatically wrapped his arms about her as if they belonged there, and how he obviously looked regretful of letting her go when he went to Omi. And his eyes…

He seemed much like the first time she kissed him, except that this time, there was this sense of fullness about him, as though he doesn't want anything else in the world except this, Shoku warrior or not. She looked at his eyes and marveled at the depths behind it: the combination of pain, insecurity, happiness, and joy, but also something else whenever the light upon Kimiko: love. There was so much in his eyes he had been trying to tell her, and some he even translated into action, but she had been too blind to see it. _Or is she? _She wondered.

Doubts filled her. Maybe she's just blowing this out of proportion. Maybe those things didn't mean to him, as much that they are coming to mean to her. Maybe he was just worrying about her, fellow Dragons and all. _Or maybe_, Kimiko thought with a pang, _I'm the only female here, and he's just playing with me. _She knows fully well that Raimundo's a ladies' man. When they go to the beach, his eyes stray to just about every woman that passes by. Her heart clenched at the thought.

"What does it all mean?" She practically pleaded to her younger self.

Her doppelganger gave her an understanding smile. She knows full well what Kimiko is feeling: doubt, confusion, and something else she isn't yet prepared to meet. "You tell me," she stated. "What does this mean for you? Don't think first of him, just think about the effect on you, seeing all these again."

She thought again. _What _does _this mean for me? What do I feel for him? He's my best friend, but… _A thought came to mind, not as a result of the effect of the Shen-Gong-Wu, but still it came unbidden.

"I gotcha, Kimi. Don't worry, I won't let you go." _Did he mean that only in the challenge, or is he trying to tell me something?_

"I gotcha, Kimi…"

"I gotcha, Kimi…"

"Kimi…"

"Kimi…"

"Kimi!"

Kimiko roused herself. _That sounded like Raimundo! _She looked around wildly, and looked at her younger self mutely. The child nodded.

"It's time for you to wake up, Kimiko."

"But I don't know what it means!"

"Why not try talking to him? If you must know, that's him trying to wake you up."

"I know," Kimiko said distractedly, running a hand through her hair, and completely missing the knowing smile her double gave. "What do I tell him?"

"You tell me, you're the older one." The child laughed, and embraced Kimiko. "Now go! We didn't go through your past for no reason, you know!"

Kimiko laughed ruefully as well, and hugged her back. "Wish me luck…"

The kid laughed again.

Kimiko blinked. It was already night, and she was at her room. She yawned. "What happened?" She asked to no one in particular, not really expecting an answer. She yawned again.

"You got jacked, that's what happened," a voice with a Brazilian accent spoke up.

Raimundo! Kimiko blushed, remembering what she just went through. She saw him peeking out from the door of her room, and she motioned him in.

"How are you feeling?" Raimundo asked her gently, sitting down beside her.

"I've had better days," Kimiko said flippantly. Raimundo laughed, and hugged her quickly. She blushed again, but hugged him back.

"Rai…"

"Yeah?" Raimundo asked.

"Thanks."

"For what?"

"For everything." Raimundo quirked an eyebrow at her. "Urm, I mean, you know, for bringing me back here to the temple, and then waking me up, and everything." She finished lamely. _He must think I'm an idiot. _"You did wake me up, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah, I did." In the dark, Kimiko didn't notice Raimundo hastily shoving his hands on his back. "After Dojo warned me not to," he finished sheepishly.

"Well, that didn't stop you before," Kimiko said teasingly, but regretted saying it when Raimundo winced. When Mala Mala Jong first came to life, Raimundo had gone back to the Temple to see if he could help them, against Master Fung's express orders to guard the Wu. That cost him not to be promoted to Apprentice with the rest, and which ultimately triggered his joining the Heylin side. "Sorry, Rai, I forgot," she said, biting her lower lip.

Raimundo looked at her before he cleared her throat. "For someone who's supposed to be remembering, you seem to forget a lot of things," he said teasingly, and Kimiko was forcibly reminded of what her younger self told her. _Come on, Kimiko, ask him! _She urged herself.

For his part, Raimundo was worried that Kimiko didn't answer to his remark. Usually, she had a retort up her sleeve, but her not saying anything was something new. "Hey, I was just kidding. It's alright, you know," he said, tracing her jaw with a finger.

Startled, Kimiko pulled back, then regretted it when Raimundo's eyes widened with hurt. He stood up. "Well, I better go now," he said stiffly. "I'd better tell the others you're ok." He stepped out of the room.

"Rai, wait!"

"What?"

"Good night."

"Good night, Kim." He left.

_What am I going to do? _Kimiko asked herself, miserable.


	8. Chapter 8

Thanks for the reviews, prncssGrl1881, Cursed Destiny, mwth06, and rai4ever! You guys rock!:D

Alas, we have come to the last stretch.:'( Story's going to end next chapter. Anyhow, continue to R & R, people!:D This wasn't as crazy as "Stop the Wedding," but it's still pretty fun.:p

**Ch8**

Kimiko woke up from a thankfully dreamless sleep with a fresh resolve, a direct contrast to the dark hanging clouds in the sky. Pulling out her robes, she espied a brightly-colored wig, a remnant of when she first came to the Temple. She smiled to herself. Without realizing it, she had changed because of his him. Raimundo.

"Girl, why do you keep doing that?" _Raimundo had told her, leaning at her doorframe while she was trying on some wigs._

"It's got something to do with style," she had said loftily, "which you know nothing about." _In truth, she found him to be the best-dressed male Dragon, but she didn't want to tell him that. After all, that really wasn't saying much, with Omi almost never changing out of his Xiaolin robes and Clay always dressed in his cowboy attire. _

_Raimundo had raised an eyebrow at her, not believing her for even one instant. _"Well, if my opinion counts for something," _he had said quietly, not meeting her eyes, _"I don't think you need all that."

_Her hand had stopped as it was about to pick up a bright purple wig. _"You think so?" _she said, smiling at him. Then her eyes narrowed. Knowing Raimundo, something was bound to follow that comment. _"What's the punchline?"

"No punchlines, Kim," _he'd said, holding up his hands. He looked at her then. _"You're beautiful," he said softly.

"Thanks, Rai," _she'd said, genuinely pleased. _"You're the best!" _she'd went up to him, and kissed his cheek. Raimundo had blushed, then muttered something indistinct and practically ran out of the room._

Kimiko smiled at the memory. Thanks to Raimundo, she stopped hiding behind her colorful outfits and begun to show who she was – no masks, no insecurities. _Now, if only I could also reveal what I realized to Rai, _she sighed. She dressed up quickly, intent on finding the Dragon of the Wind.

Going into the dining hall, she only saw Clay wolfing down a steak "the size of Texas," as he would put it.

"Clay, have you seen Rai?" She was no longer as put out by the cowboy's eating habits as she was before, when she practically ran screaming when Clay gobbled down a bowl of rice in one gulp.

"MMffrmfmrmrmmm," Clay tried to say, with bits of rice flying out of his mouth and falling to the closest landing spot it could go to: Kimiko.

"What was that, Clay? I didn't take up Mumble as a second language in school, and being showered with rice doesn't really help in the translation," Kimiko said sarcastically. "This wasn't my idea of a daily carbohydrate intake," she continued, wiping herself off with the closest thing she could get her hands on, which unfortunately just happened to be Clay's hat.

"Hey!" Clay said, grabbing his most prized possession from Kimiko's hands. "Sorry about the spray, Kimiko, but nobody, and I say, nobody touches my hat!" He shoved it back on his head.

"Oh-kay," Kimiko said, backing away. She could still remember when Jack Spicer threw up on his hat. Clay had threatened bodily damage, madder about this than he was when the self-proclaimed evil boy genius had stolen their Wu. "Anyway, where _is _Rai?"

"He's out on the back with Jack Spicer," Clay shrugged his shoulders, then continued gobbling his steak, barely pausing for breath in between bites.

"Jack Spicer!" Kimiko yelled, and then took off. She couldn't ask Clay what Spicer was doing in the Temple anyway. At the rate he's going with his food, the only way he would be able to answer a question asked by Kimiko would be if she did it while wearing a T-bone steak costume.

Sprinting, she saw Omi training alone.

"Omi!" She yelled.

Omi looked at her, and then grinned happily. "Under the day, Kimiko!" the young monk greeted her, coming forward.

Thinking for a moment, Kimiko then grinned. "Oh, you mean, top of the morning! Same to you, Omi!"

Omi grinned back. "Yes, that too! How are you feeling, Kimiko? You've been asleep almost the entire day, and we thought the effects of the combined Wus were more serious than we thought. Raimundo almost never left your side!"

Kimiko felt her heart skip a beat. "He didn't?" she asked, trying to sound as normal, but her voice came a bit breathless.

Omi looked at her strangely. "Are you okay, Kimiko? It says on 'The Ancient Guide to Females' that females are weaker than males, and have a smaller resistance!" and in so saying, he pulled out his copy, now looking charred and sorry-looking as it was almost completely covered with tape.

"You're lucky I'm too busy looking for Rai, Omi, or I would fry you and your book," Kimiko said, glaring at the young monk.

Omi gulped. He could remember what happened when he brought the book in Kimiko's presence. "Raimundo is at the back!" He squeaked out, holding on to his book for dear life.

"Alright, thanks," she said, walking in that direction and still looking daggers at him. Omi sighed. _Whoever wrote this book does not know about Dragons of Fire, _he thought, shaking his head.

Kimiko finally spotted Raimundo, who had just launched Jack Spicer with his wind power.

"Bye, Kimiko!" She heard Spicer yell just before he was blasted off. "And I'm sorrrryyyyyyyyyyyyyyy…" His voice trailed off as he shrank smaller and smaller in the sight of the two Dragons watching.

Kimiko raised an eyebrow at Raimundo, who lifted his hand in a gesture of innocence. "What? He had it coming. It was either that or the matchbox."

"Matchbox?" Kimiko was confused. How can a small thing be threatening?

"Never mind," Raimundo said quickly. They began walking back to their rooms. Master Fung had given them the day off because of what happened to Kimiko, and everyone was happy to take up his offer. He put his arm around Kimiko's shoulder. "Nobody messes with my favorite Dragon," he said teasingly. Kimiko blushed. On cue, Omi's head popped out of the bushes, saying "I thought I was your favorite Dragon," he said, pouting. They paid him no attention and continued walking, Kimiko remembering when Raimundo had first told her that, when he'd just found out she's rich. _Is that still the case? _Kimiko wondered. The thought depressed her._ Come on, Kim, ask him! _she urged herself, but she couldn't say anything. The feel of Raimundo's arm around her shoulders was a little too much of a distraction.

"Rai?" She said, trying to make her voice sound normal, but it came out as a squeak.

Instantly, Raimundo stopped and checked her face. "Hey, are you feeling alright? Does the Wu still have any effect?" he asked her concernedly, tilting her face with one hand to better see it.

Kimiko blushed. "No, I'm ok," she said hastily, stepping back, but regretting the loss of the warmth of Raimundo's hand.

Raimundo dropped his hand, looking a bit hurt. He gestured towards where the sleeping quarters were located, looking questioningly at Kimiko, who nodded. They continued walking again. "So," Raimundo said, his hands behind his head, "How did the memory recall go?" he said off-handedly.

Kimiko glanced at him sharply. _He knows! _she thought in panic. "H-How did you know about that?" Her voice became even more high-pitched.

"Jack Spicer found the scroll of the Wushan Geyser," he said, looking at her quizzically. "Girl, are you sure you're alright? Usually, you wait until noon to get testy."

"Oh right, hehe, the scroll, yeah," Kimiko said sheepishly, looking at her toes. _This isn't as easy as I thought, _she said to herself. _Forget about feelings, I'd take on Hannibal Bean and Chase Young instead! _"You know, remembering stuff. Went back to the time I burned of the Lil Chica Doll," she finished lamely, shuddering, whether about the toy or her statement, she wasn't sure.

"Anything about me there?" Raimundo asked lazily. Maybe it was her imagination, but she thought she saw Raimundo with bated breath at the corner of her eye. When she turned fully to look at him, though, he was his normal, languid self.

_Here goes nothing. _She took a deep breath, before she proceeded. "Actually, there is," she said, determinedly looking at what's in front of her, not at the green-eyed, brown-haired guy walking beside her. She walked faster.

"Anything good?" Raimundo asked her, catching up to her and matching each stride.

"You could say that," Kimiko said. Without warning, she plopped down on the grass near the sleeping quarters. _At least we won't be disturbed here, _she thought. Hardly anyone ever passes by here, except for the occasional monk who was looking for a quieter place for some alone time.

Raimundo sat down beside her. "So?"

"So what?" Kimiko said, still not looking at him.

"You have got to be the most infuriating woman I've ever met!" Raimundo said in exasperation, throwing his hands up in the air.

"I try my best," she said cheekily. Raimundo scowled at her. "Well, if you must know, my memories showed us training and finding Shen-Gong-Wu and all that," she said off-handedly.

Raimundo looked disappointed. "Is that all?" He asked quietly.

Kimiko looked at his dejected face. _Maybe there is still a chance, _she told herself. "There's more," she said, even more quietly than Raimundo's question.

Raimundo glanced at her quickly. "What's it about?"

Instead of answering, she plucked off a blade of grass and played with it between her fingers. "Rai," she said finally, "why do you keep on rescuing me?"

He didn't respond immediately. He took a deep breath and laid down on the grass, looking at the sky, which still threatened rain. "It's my job as leader," he said. To Kimiko's ears, the answer seemed pretty lame. She knows Raimundo, and she's well aware that he wasn't telling the whole truth.

"Is that it?" Kimiko chanced to look at him, and blue eyes met green.

Raimundo swallowed thickly. "I like saving you, alright?"

Kimiko didn't let go of his gaze. Since she started it, might as well finish this. "Why?"

Again, Raimundo didn't reply quickly. He begun playing with the grass under his hand. "At first it was because you're the only girl," he begun. Catching the look of Kimiko's face, the same one she has one when Omi mentions _that _book, he hurried to explain. "It's not because I think you're weak," he said quickly. Kimiko visibly relaxed. Raimundo breathed a sigh of relief as well. "My mama told me to always look out after women."

"But when Katnappé pretended to break her leg, it was all you could do to strangle her!" Kimiko said.

"Well, you would too if she kept on pushing you to get her more fish!" he retorted, his face reddening.

"But she _is_ still a woman," Kimiko was obliged to point out.

"She's not a woman," Raimundo said hotly. "She's an evil psycho who thinks perfectly round hairballs are her best asset!"

Kimiko felt greatly pleased with this. At least Raimundo chooses who he's gentle with. "So anyway, you were saying?"

Raimundo huffed, still annoyed with the Katnappe question. "Why? You don't want me to look after you?"

"It's not that!" Kimiko said quickly. Raimundo gave her a look. She blushed scarlet as she realized what her words implied. "What I mean is, why are you always looking out after me? I saw my memories, and I didn't realize how much you've been watching over me, making me… safe."

Raimundo looked away, but not before Kimiko saw a flash of red on his cheeks. "What's it to you anyway?" He grunted out. "It's not as if Omi and Clay don't look after you too."

_Is he jealous? _Kimiko thought to herself. For some inexplicable reason, she suddenly felt happier. "Omi and Clay never got between me and a bad guy to keep me from getting hurt," she said softly. "And they never planned with Master Fung or Master Monk Guan so I won't get injured in a fight, even if it was staged," she said this even more softly.

Raimundo flushed even more. "You know about that?" He whispered.

"I saw it in my memories," she said. "I don't know the whole story, but I saw Master Monk Guan give you a wink after he got between us."

"What else do you know?" Raimundo choked out.

"I don't know anything, Rai," Kimiko said miserably. "That's why I'm asking you."

"What… what else did you see?" Raimundo asked, instead of answering.

"I saw… the way you made me drink my chi, and how you are during trainings and battles, and," she blushed, "Your reaction when I kissed you. There was also something about us going for a movie, but I know that didn't happen." She laughed quietly, but he didn't join her. Instead, he turned redder, if that was possible. She cleared her throat, at the same time trying to control the tide of rising emotions in her. "What do these mean, Rai?"

"You don't know, Kimi?" Raimundo stared at her full in the face. She saw pain in his eyes. "I thought you understood already."

"No Rai," she said honestly. "I don't."

"I love you," he said simply. "I've had for the longest time now."

"Please don't kid with me, Rai," she told him, her lower lip trembling.

"Do you think I'm joking, Kimiko?" She was startled, not so much with his tone but him using her full name. Not Kimi, not Kim: Kimiko.

"I don't know Rai, that's why I'm asking you! Can you be honest for a change?" She said, her temper also rising, and a bit hurt with Raimundo's abrupt change in calling her name. _Why is he so mad? I just wanted to know the truth! _She thought.

"What's that supposed to mean? I've worn my heart on my sleeve all this time, Kimiko," Raimundo was practically yelling, "and it has to take you a bad combination of Wu for you to see it, and," he said this self-mockingly, "you still don't get what's going on."

"Why do you think I'm asking you, Rai?" Kimiko screamed. Thunder began rolling, of which she was thankful. At least there's something to drown out their voices. "Just so I can mess with you?" She laughed mirthlessly. "You may be my best friend, _Raimundo,_" she emphasized his name, "but I don't know you. How the heck should I know what your actions meant when you never said anything? I'm not a mind reader! Don't expect me to know the meaning behind everything you've ever done!"

"I thought I was being clear about it!" Raimundo shouted.

"How do I know you're not playing me the same way you've played the other girls?"

Raimundo turned pale. "Is that how you see me, Kimi? As some playboy?" He choked out. Kimiko couldn't have done more damage had she just slapped him.

Kimiko looked ashen. "No, wait, Rai, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it…"

"Yes, you did. You said you don't know me, but I know you, and I know you meant every word you said." Kimiko turned grey.

"No Rai, I'm sorry, really, please…" She took a step toward him, but he stepped back. Her eyes filled with tears. _Where did I go wrong? _She asked herself. _And this morning started really differently too… _"Please," she begged again, "please let me explain."

"And what's my assurance you won't blow up at me again?" Raimundo asked her. She bit her lip. "See? You can't even answer that. I'm sorry, Kimi, but I can't live with that," and in so saying, he stood up and left her. Alone. Again.

As Kimiko sat on the grass, the rain began to fall, slowly at first, growing stronger with every moment that passed, as though it mourned with her. Her tears flowed down uncontrollably. Hiro came to her mind again, and their break-up, almost the same one she just had with Raimundo. _Except Rai and I were never a couple, _she reminded herself, _and thanks to me, we'll never speak to each other again. So much for what my younger self said. _She sobbed harder.


	9. Chapter 9

**Ch9**

The next day came in bright and early, as though mocking Kimiko of the dullness she was feeling. She checked the other rooms and saw that the others had already gone for breakfast. Raimundo had always waited for her so they could have breakfast together. _That's another thing I've ruined, _Kimiko thought miserably.

She went to the dining hall, her eyes downcast, refusing to meet the stares of the other people. She replied a quiet "Good morning" to Omi's cheerful "Nice day, sun! The earth gives its greetings!", with a pasty smile. She didn't have the heart to correct him, and judging from the silence in the hall, no one else did either. She kept her head bowed down, only focusing on her plate, although she didn't have that much of an appetite. Unknown to her, a pair of green eyes filled with concern were watching her.

After breakfast, she pleaded suffering from a Shen-Gong-Wu side effect and asked to be excused from training. Master Fung, obviously not believing her, chose to let it slide and gave her permission.

"What's up with her?" Dojo asked, crawling up Master Fung's leg.

"Time heals all wounds," Master Fung said philosophically.

"Nice," Dojo said approvingly. "Where did you get that?"

"May 1975, Teddy Bears edition," Master Fung said solemnly.

"Oh… I see… Can you excuse me for a minute?" Dojo then slithered out of the hall. As soon as he got out, loud whooping sounds could be heard, the unmistakable noise of a dragon laughing his heart out.

Kimiko lay on her side in her room. _He loves me, _she thought. _He really does love me. _She tossed around. _I've been so blind, _she thought. _All this time, Raimundo was taking care of me, and I didn't see it. _She lay on her back. _But what do I feel? Do I love him back? Is this what love feels like? As if my heart's being stabbed ten million times? _She looked back at the memories she got to see again. _Raimundo._ The one who had selflessly helped an old woman even when Omi told him not to. Who single-handedly rescued his hometown, even while knowing that using the Shen-Gong-Wu would have an adverse effect on him. Who would readily risk his life for his fellow warriors, but for her in particular, Raimundo, who had constantly been there for her. She didn't need the Wu to remind her of the times she had with Raimundo, as he had accused her. Even without those, she knew just how much he meant to her. _But to what extent? _she wondered.

She closed her eyes. In her mind's eye, she seemed to see her doppelganger laughing down at her.

_Come on, Kimiko! We didn't go through your past for no reason!_

But I don't know what to do! I blew it!

_Why did you blow it?_

I snapped at him, I insulted him, I didn't get a chance to…

_Didn't get to tell him you loved him?_

No! Do I love him?

_You tell me._

I don't understand myself!

_You haven't answered my question when we were in your head, you know._

Which one?

_Why did you kiss him?_

(No answer).

_And why do you have so many memories of him in your mind? You even remember things about him that you're not involved in!_

(No answer).

_See? You've known all along what you feel for him. You're just afraid to admit it._

I just… I just don't want to be hurt again.

_People get hurt all the time. Besides, you won't be._

How do you know?

_Don't you remember what he told you?_

What did he tell me?

_For someone who's trying to remember, you sure forget about a lot of things._

Yeah, I got that from him. Was that what you're trying to remind me?

_Alright, don't get snippy._

Sorry.

_He said he loves you._

But he hates me now.

_Trust him._

How?

_Love is not about "how", Kimiko. It's about trusting the other person implicitly. If he does love you, he'll be willing to give you another chance._

You sure are smart for a kid.

_Thanks, but I know I'll be smarter when I'm older._

Thanks.

_Oh whoops, he's coming. Here's your chance._

What do I tell him?

_Oh, I'm sure you can think of something. _

She drifted off.

Raimundo came in the sleeping quarters quietly. He was worried. He knew Kimiko had a reason to dislike him, but avoiding training just to avoid him was too much, even for her. She never missed a day in training, even when he and Clay tried to convince her to play hooky. She was like Omi in that respect. _Maybe she _is_ suffering from a Wu side effect, _Rai thought worriedly. After all, there have been no record of someone being zapped by three Shen-Gong-Wu in one go. He tiptoed into her room and peeked inside.

She was sleeping. Raimundo smiled softly at the sight of her. _She really is so beautiful_, he said. It's not just about her physical appearance, although she had plenty of that. Raimundo had seen his share of pretty women, but none struck him the same way that Kimiko had affected him. There was something about her that pulled him in, and no matter how many times she'd beaten him, or insulted him, he couldn't have kept away had he tried. He didn't anyway. He knew it would be pointless to fight it, so he tried to tell her the best way he knew how. He couldn't with words: he thought himself as the worst speaker to walk the face of the earth, so he tried showing her by his actions, and he thought she understood. Her eyes would always search the room until they found him, and then they would light up, and she'd immediately go to him.

He sighed. He made a mistake, he knew that now. He should've told her what he felt. Now he'd blown it.

Yet try as he might, he can't stay away from her. There's something about her that Raimundo can't define, but he felt drawn to it, like a moth to a flame. _And I'm the moth_, he thought wryly. Kimiko may never forgive him. _Still, it's worth trying, _he thought, squaring his shoulders. He knelt down beside her. "Kimiko?" he whispered, gently shaking her shoulder.

"Hmmm… Rai?" Kimiko said sleepily, smiling up at him. Raimundo smiled back gently. _She doesn't hate me! _he thought, in relief.

"Hey, Kimi, how are you feeling?"

"Better, now that you're here," she said, blushing. Raimundo also blushed. _Is she saying what I think she's saying? _He wondered. His heart hammered wildly.

"You want to go for a walk?" He said, offering his hand, which was trembling. Whether she didn't notice it or did but just didn't, she smiled up at him and took it. He pulled her out of the door and out into the garden, and he guided her to one of the stone benches there. Kimiko noticed he still hadn't let go of her hand. She smiled to herself, and didn't say anything.

"Kim, I…"

"Ssshhh…" Kimiko said, putting a finger to his lips. "I know, Rai. I know. I'm sorry too. I've been so blind, never noticing just how much you've done for me, how you've looked after me. Like an angel," she finished, smiling gently at him.

"Kimiko, I don't deserve you. I was unfair, expecting you to know what I wante…"

"Ssshhh…" Kimiko said again. "I won't pretend and say that you're not wrong, because you were." Raimundo smiled wryly at this. One of the things he loved most about her is her blunt honesty. "But I'm not faultless either. We were both wrong, and the sooner we both leave that behind, the sooner we can look forward."

"I love you, Kim," Raimundo whispered.

"I love you too." She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him hard. Raimundo gladly responded. They remained in that position for a long time, until Raimundo remembered something.

"Kim, do you remember that part in your dream sequence that wasn't really a memory?"

"You mean, the one with you and me watching a movie? What about it?" Kimiko said, looking up at him.

"What were we watching then?"

"Really, Rai, why are you so concerned about it? It's just a glitch, anyway."

"It might not be," Raimundo said seriously. "What was it about?"

"Fine," Kimiko said huffily. Really, this was robbing them precious cuddling time. "From what I remember, we were watching clips of your moves. Satisfied?"

To her surprise, Raimundo began chuckling to himself, which rapidly turned into a major laugh trip.

"What's so funny?" Kimiko asked crossly.

"No, it's not about you, Kimi, I…" and he collapsed into laughter.

"Are you going to tell me, or should I leave you so you can continue laughing to yourself?" she said, crossing her arms on her chest.

"I'd prefer you staying here, thanks," Raimundo said, wrapping his arms around her again, but still grinning widely.

Kimiko gladly sank in his embrace. "So what were you laughing about?"

"Nothing, Kimi," he said, still grinning.

"Rai…" she warned.

"Okay, okay…" Raimundo threw his arms up in mock surrender. "If you must know, that was actually my memory, not yours. Well, more of a dream than a memory."

"What?" Kimiko was surprised. "How did that happen?"

"Maybe because I was in your head with the Changing Chopsticks," Raimundo said somewhat sheepishly.

Kimiko rolled her eyes, but wasn't really upset. She knew now why he did that. "So you really dreamt about us watching a movie together?"

"You have no idea, Kimiko," Raimundo almost groaned. "That wasn't even a dream, more like a wish I had for the longest time."

"Then why don't you see if it could come true?" Kimiko asked him, determinedly looking at his medallion instead of at his face, blushing.

Raimundo grinned, and gladly obliged. "Kimiko Tohomiko, would you like to catch a film with a lowly Shoku Warrior this Friday night?"

Kimiko rolled her eyes again. Even when he tried to act humble, he still had to boast. She's not complaining though, that's the Raimundo she came to know, and love. She pretended to consider it. "I'll think about it," she said teasingly, then ducked, laughing, from under his arms.

Raimundo chased after her, laughing as well. When he caught up with her, he wrapped his arms around her and twirled her around. "The offer's only good once, Kimi," he warned. "Take it or leave it." He began tickling her.

"Alright, alright," Kimiko gasped, laughing hard. "I'll take it!"

"That's better," Raimundo said smugly.

They stood there, smiling at each other, enjoying the sun on their faces and the warmth inside them.

_In Some Unknown Place_

"Hey Rai, you want to play?" A pale-skinned, pigtailed girl approached a little brown-haired boy wearing a pair of shorts and carrying a soccer ball.

"Sure thing, Kimi!" the little boy, Rai, responded enthusiastically. They began kicking the ball around.

"It's a good thing they settled things, right, Rai?" The little girl said as she chased after the ball.

"Yeah, or else we wouldn't be able to play anymore!" And both kids continued to giggle and play with the ball.

- End -


End file.
